What are the good brands of CD-R out there?

Hope this isn't off subject, but I've got a Verbatim lightscribe media question...I recently bought some Verb 5 color lightscribe 1.2 media. They're Moser Baer India. Then I got a 10 pk, verbatim lightscribe 1.2 that turned out CMC Mag made in Taiwan. Haven't really had any problems so far, but browsing this forum and others, the afore mentioned manufacturers don't get very high marks and I'm concerned about longevity. Does Verbatim make lightscribe cd-r media that are manufactured by anyone else? If so, how can one tell the difference prior to buying?..
Liteon SHM 165H6S & Benq DW 1655, both latest firmware. Thanks.

 

Verbatim makes first class DVDs, but when it comes to CD-Rs they simply have companies such as MBI and CMC manufature for them. These same companies also manufacture Verb's DVDs but with Verbatim's quality standards, while the CD-Rs receive no special treatment (that I know of.) The CD-Rs should be fine for music, but I only trust Taiyo Yuden CD-Rs for my software and game backups. Many times you can find Fujifilm CD-Rs at most retail stores that are manufactured by and code out as Taiyo Yuden. Look on the package for a "made in Japan" statement, if the statement is there then you are all good.

 

Finished my cakebox of 30 Verbatim labelled CMC LightScribe discs. I ended up with 7 that I wasn't happy with, including the 1 that burned OK, but was not recognised as a LightScribe disc when it came to burn the label. In comparison, my 10 pack of Verbatim coded Verbatim lightscribe were terrific, with low error count. These had a bluish burn surface, but I don't think you can tell before buying.

Incidentally, (but sorry, OT)
The last disc of the 30, I burned as a compilation disc of audio tracks that I am using to audition a new pair of speakers. I put some very good quality tracks, as well as some average quality tracks on it. While auditioning a pair of little Dynaudio Audience 52s today, the sales guy was surprised to learn that my disc was a burn. On the good tracks it did sound good, and on the average tracks, just average. The little Dyns are quite revealing. So as far as audio quality on the disc is concerned, I think the CMC Verbs are good.

 

It appears that the answer to my question is that when it comes to Verb lightscribe CD-R's, it's either CMC or MBI. Thanks, clears up a lingering question.

 

any opinion or verdict on the aussie sold Verbatim Vinyl cd-r ?? I want them for audio?
I have been using the TDK snap & save from DSE but get this they play fine in my players I put them in an older player plays some not others yet they are the exact same batch.
my only theory is that perhaps the failed disc was over 74 minutes and older players cannot handle that.
any ideas anyone?
I plan to buy the verbatim vinyls ten packs for the moment.

 

The Verbatim Vinyls...I think these are a gimmick (and I don't like the little label area!)
I've learned my lesson. Stick with TY.

I haven't seen in Sidonie, any of the TY Maxell Pro discs that are recommended in this forum.

There are "That's" labeled TY discs from www.pcx.com.au that have the ceramic coat, 40x more scratch resistant, protection. Available in 100 lot for <AU 60c each including delivery. Blank TYs available as well. Just my 2c worth.

 

@Platy767
that's my main beef as well that tiny area I don't even *try* to write on them.
the only minor bonus is getting full jewel cases per disc but that really is nothing.
your 2 cents worth for me if you had a choice between 50 TDK snap & saves or Verbatim ten pack Vinyls for audio which would you go for?
(lol probably neither)
these are my only two options at the moment.

 

@sorrow93
You have already answered for me! (It probably won't matter if you use either)
For other brands you might start thinking about a web based purchase, particularly with free delivery for quantity. I expect there would be other places to get TYs, but the place I suggested before seems OK. I have made a couple of buys from them and will do again. This is not a recommendation, just a suggestion.

 

@Platy767
lack of credit card probably rules out online purchases at the moment.
you know that aussie mag NetGuide? They recommend Verbatim media I don't know if they got paid or something lol I noticed the vinyls are Taiwan produced which is a concern.
I will keep an open-mind on your suggestions oneday I could buy my discs in bulk and get delivery that would be bliss
cheers

 

The TDK and the Verbatim discs are made in the same factory by the same company. Both are very good quality, but some people like the vinyl look to the Verbatim while others do not and have had some adhesion problems with them. Either disc would be fine and of equal quality.

 

@JoeRyan
thankyou for that helpful info I just bought a ten-pack of the Verbatim Vinyls *today*
limited choice locally.
I admire the vinyls not room to write much
I did have playback issues a couple of years ago when they had the deep-blue Azo surface they seem to have changed that.
aussie surface/taiwan surface is now goldish
perhaps you might fill me in on that - I enjoy reading your wisdom

 

The original dye used for CD-Rs was cyanine. It was very unstable in both light and heat until metallizers were added to it. Azo-cyanine is a variant of cyanine, and it has a deep blue color. Most CD-Rs now use a phthalocyanine dye that has a slight yellowish cast to it. This dye is very stable in both light and heat and can be tinted so that there is no color visible to it at all. Phthalocyanine reacts quickly to the laser heat, and that makes it ideal for high-speed recordings with a "short write strategy" that uses quick, short pulses of laser power to form the marks on a disc. This dye is not as good at 1X or 2X recordings because it reacts so quickly, but that is only a problem for stereo recorders--and few people use them today. Cyanine and azo-cyanine have the opposite properties--they use a long write strategy that works best at slow recording speeds but do not work as well at high speeds.

Competition among dye suppliers has now made phthalocyanine relatively inexpensive in comparison to cyanine or azo-cyanine dyes, and using phthalocyanine avoids the onerous royalty payments once demanded by some cyanine dye suppliers. Those who stick with cyanine or azo-cyanine dyes do so because they own the patents to their formulations. Most other producers care about high-speed performance and have switched to phthalocyanine.

 

I happen to like TY's blue dye however the matte surface (on CDR's) scratches & shows fingerprints. Other then that the discs are great!!

 

I really think that the difference between the 'best' brand of CD and the 'worst' brand is not nearly as pronounced as it was 10 years agp . . The same goes for DVDs

If you have a top notch burner and know how to use it properly means more than the brand of media that you use

Victor

 

@JoeRyan
your knowledge has me in awe you know your facts!
one final question if you can - I learned that lowering the burn speed makes for a better burn on my LiteOn burner the lowest nero goes is 12x and I prefer to slow it down however my Pioneer dvd burner can go as low as 4x which is majorly time consuming.
what do you recommend for a standard audio burn?
I am confused because someone else on afterdawn recommended going higher ... essentially I burn at 12x on the LiteOn and if need be, 4x on the pioneer
thankyou if you take the time to answer this my last question for this thread

 

sorrow93..Heres my 2cents worth
On DVD's when useing Nero will not let me go below 8X,so this is what I use..But when I use Clone DVD it lets me regulate,so I burn Moveie at 6X
The above info has left me with no problems !!
Now for CD's I burn at 12X in Nero with no problems.When I use Acoustica MP3 CD Burner I set it at 12X.But according to the program itself,it never gets over 8X.So it definetely depends on the [CD's DVD's]speeds.All newer 1's seem to be 16X& above,which only really lets U go to 8X..But lower is definetly better.I've only burned about 5000 Disc's,so my expertise are not all that great.But higher speeds have made for blemished Disc's,with bad sectors according to DVD Info.
Poor quality Disc's also contribute to bad burns.But I've found that speed is the major culprit.I've had 90% contentment even with supposedly poor quality Disc's..Don't know about Longivity yet only time will tell...OK OK 4cents

 

@Rick5446
thankyou for the cents worth appreciated.
a DJ friend advised me lower the burn speed years ago I only ever burned the one disc by accident at 48 or 52x and it skipped - lessons learned.
some people go for speed but I go for maximum audio quality.
I am patient I can wait 15 minutes for a 4x
I have probably burned 5000 cdr's too and new to the dvd scene.
if the cd is scratched I use the 4x but for mint I go the Lite-On 12 times no problems yet.
I *think* anything below 16 times is recommended anything above and maybe a risk.
there's my dollars worth but I do enjoy the discussion I am eternally learning as we all are - cheers

 

sorrow93..Cheers to U mate

 

Although the reviewers of drives and media generally value speed as a criterion of quality--it's not, I find that recording at half the rated speed of a disc is a reasonable choice because it avoids pushing the drive and the disc to their limits. The outside edge of a disc is its most fragile area for two reasons: 1) irregularities in the dye as it is spin-coated across the surface during manufacturing are most likely to show up at the edge; and 2) the laser has the most difficult time focusing on the edge as it moves in and out of a perfect plane in any wobble effect.

Just as a tape recorder's bias was set at or close to the point of lowest harmonic distortion, a laser's power setting uses the jitter curve for the best setting. At slower speeds, the curve has a wider threshold for greater tolerance. At faster speeds, the curve becomes sharper and more limited; and that reduces the tolerance for the ideal point of adjustment. That's why drives that do not recognize the disc's MID code often use a default write strategy but simultaneously reduce the allowed speed: the broader jitter threshold at slower speeds increases the chances of a good recording.

However, that is not always true. Recording a CD-R with phthalocyanine dye at 2X will create more errors and instability than recording it at 32X or even it's rated speed of 52X. Some DVD drives, too, produce worse results at the slowest speed than at the middle or highest speed. It all depends on how thorough the firmware engineers were in designing the drive's firmware to accommodate slow speeds as well as high speeds. At today's prices for drives, firmware engineers no longer have the luxury of doing thorough jobs or of supporting older drives.

For DVDs, most of which are now 16X, a speed of 8X is a good choice. For CD-Rs, most of which are phthalocyanine rated for 52X, 24X or 32X is a good choice. Blue azo-cyanines may perform best at 16X-24X. If the speed is too slow and the drive does not back off the power sufficiently, the dye can be "overburned"; and that can lead to as many problems later on as recording too fast. A lot depends on the way the drive was designed. Older drives typically had more firmware attention than the newest drives on the market.

 

thankyou JoeRyan for your time and wisdom alot learned.
cheers to you and Rick5446